Hydrodeoxygenation of Palmitic Acid with Novel Two-Dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported Ni Catalyst

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fatty acids to alkanes is key to convert renewable resources into biofuels. Here, we design a new Ti3C2Tx MXene-confined Ni catalyst with extraordinary catalytic performance in the HDO of palmitic acid. Due to the large two-dimensional surface and chemical activity, Ti3C2Tx MXene is able to disperse and anchor Ni particles through strong synergistic coupling. As a consequence, the obtained Ni/Ti3C2Tx catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance with a complete conversion of palmitic acid. It can be recycled in five runs without activity reduction, demonstrating good stability of the as-prepared catalyst. The facilitated catalytic performance can be ascribed to the synergic effect of metal Ni and Ti3C2Tx MXene. Ti3C2Tx MXene facilitates the adsorption and conversion of palmitic acid to aldehyde. The dispersed Ni particles benefit from the hydrogenation of hexadecanal intermediate with the cleavage of C–C bonds and the dehydration–hydrogenation of hexadecanol to form alkanes.